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Residents urge Baldwin City Council to restore Spring Creek Park and Baldwin City Lake
Summary
Residents told the Baldwin City Council the lake and park remain used by scouts, fishermen and recreationists and urged repairs to a spillway broken for more than five years; speakers proposed low-cost fixes, volunteer help and pursuing grants such as the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
Becky McMillan told the Baldwin City Council that Spring Creek Park and Baldwin City Lake remain a multi-generational resource and urged the city not to sell the land.
"Each generation is responsible for preserving land for the next generation," McMillan said, adding that she feared losing a nearby open space many residents still use for fishing, picnics and Frisbee golf.
McMillan said she posted park photos to Facebook and received responses from "over 340" people who said they would return to the park if the spillway were repaired. She and other speakers described centuries‑old community uses, from scout camps and city-run fishing clinics to casual dog walking and disc golf.
Danny McMillan described an on-site inspection with local earth‑work contractor Glenn Rockers and proposed a straightforward repair using local equipment: scrape back to sandrock, cut a V, set rebar and shot rock, then pour a concrete slurry to restore flow and ponding near the boat ramp. He said that approach could restore a ten‑foot pocket by the ramp and raise most of the lake to 3–5 feet.
Bob Hay, who lives outside the city limits and manages farmland, said local contractors have rebuilt ponds for a fraction of larger estimates and urged the city to solicit multiple local bids. Hay said contractors he used charged $5,000–$6,000 on some projects and about $20,000 for larger pond work, and urged council members to consider local alternatives to higher grant‑driven costs.
Kenny Neehoff, a Boy Scout leader, said the scouts continue to use the lake for campouts and service projects and offered to lead an application for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a federal/state grant program that has funded dozens of Kansas projects. Several speakers asked the council to pair any technical repair plan with better promotion so new residents will use the park.
Council members did not make a decision during the public‑comment period. Committee discussion logged later in the meeting noted the need to estimate a full project cost before choosing a funding path (local funding, grants, or a sales‑tax mechanism) and said staff would return with options.
Next steps: residents asked the council to request cost estimates from local contractors, evaluate grant options and consider community outreach to demonstrate likely public use of the restored lake.
